Football Daily - Women’s Euros: England & Wales both lose openers

Episode Date: July 5, 2025

Katie Smith has reaction to defeats for England and Wales at UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. She’s joined by Izzy Christiansen, Nedum Onuoha, Julien Laurens and Vicki Sparks as England are beaten by France. Hear interviews with Sarina Wiegman, Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood. Plus Eilidh Barbour and Danny Gabbidon round up Wales’ defeat to Netherlands and hear from Rhian Wilkinson.02:45 Alex Greenwood INTERVIEW, 05:55 Alessia Russo INTERVIEW, 08:00 England underperform in midfield? 11:00 Was it a foul on Russo for France’s second goal? 14:45 What positives were there for England? 20:00 Hannah Hampton a highlight? 22:40 Sarina Wiegman INTERVIEW, 26:10 Wales lose in first major tournament match, 32:15 Rhian Wilkinson INTERVIEW.BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries: Sun 1700 Norway v Finland on Sports Extra 3, Sun 2000 Switzerland v Iceland on Sports Extra, Mon 1700 Spain v Belgium on Sports Extra, Mon 2000 Portugal v Italy on Sports Extra, Tue 1700 Germany v Denmark on Sports Extra, Tue 2000 Poland v Sweden on Sports Extra.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. deal ratings and price history. So you know a great deal when you see one. That's cargurus.ca. Welcome to the Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One like never before. And I'm Matt Magindy. And thanks to my exclusive access, I'll be getting up close and personal with Red Bull Racing this season. This week we address the Verstappen Mercedes rumours. You want to be with the very best car next season. And look forward to the British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton loves Silverstone. He does. Could he challenge? Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into the inside track wherever you get radio podcasts.

The Football Daily podcast with Katie Smith at the UEFA Women's Euro 2025. French tricolor flags are waving because France have beaten England in this tough, tough opening fixture for them in Group D. It ended here France 2, England 1. So the defending champions with work to do. The players down below us at the moment, some of them being interviewed by our TV colleagues and we've got Rob Schofield down in the tunnel for us. So we will try and get you reaction as and when we can from the manager, from the players. But an unwanted record then for England. They've become the first reigning champions first time for the women's

team. They have become the first reigning champions to lose their opening match at the women's Euros. Vicky Sparks, our commentator, here with us this evening calling the action. Vicky, while it was an action-packed match. It was an unwelcome history for Serena Vigman as well. 12 out of 12 games she won at the Euros having won the tournament the first time. She's been in the world for three years now.

She's won the Euro, won the tournament with the Netherlands in 2017 and of course England three years ago. She's tasted defeat at this tournament as a manager. England started the game well, creating chances.

Lauren James on her first start in three months after returning from a hamstring injury. the opening. The opening was a great opportunity for the team. The opening that she fired over the bar. England continued to look creative, to move well. Alessia Russo had a goal ruled out for the tightest of off sides in the build-up. But then France found their form. Their wide players were superb.

Both the wingers and those pressing up from full back. England simply could not handle them. the lead. The first two to go. Marie Antoinette, so prolific for France. Slotting home from six yards to give France the lead shortly before halftime. Sondy Baltimore, a beautiful piece of individual brilliance. They were so desperate for England not to shoot on their left. She took advantage of a lucky ricochet and curled it corner with her right foot. There was controversy with that. England felt that there was a foul in the build-up on Rousseau by Lecra. VAR had a long look but in the end didn't get involved and in the end England's response came too

little too late after France squandered chances in the second half to put the game beyond England. Kira Walsh scored a stunner from outside the area but that came on 87 minutes and it just wasn't enough for England. They looked like they were really pushing for that equaliser and could have got it. But questions will be, could changes have been made earlier? And could that urgency and that throwing the kitchen sink at France perhaps happened a little earlier as well because they've lost. We're going straight to Rob Schofield, who has. Thank you. I've got Alex Greenwood with me.

Alex, just how difficult a night was that? Yeah, I mean, it Greenwood with me. Alex, just how difficult a night was that? Yeah, I mean it was disappointing. Disappointing result. I think we finished this game strong but we don't want to have to be in situations like that where we're finishing the game like that. Of course not the ideal start but no tournament's won or lost after the first game. We have two massive games now that we must win. We'll assess the game, reflect on it individually, collectively and we'll make sure we're better in the next game. Are you able to give any indication as to why it took so long to find that persistent threat?

Honestly, I actually thought we started the game really well. The first 10-15 minutes I thought we put them on the back foot and then after the VAR goal we just lost our way a little bit, which is disappointing. And then when you can see two goals, you've got an uphill battle. So, yeah, like I said, I need to watch the game. I need to reflect on the game. It's going to take a day to do that. But of course, right now, I'm just really disappointed with the result.

Yeah. Do you feel like that was ultimately the turning point and perhaps maybe the reflection is dealing with those moments? Because as you say, that VAR point, I mean Izzy Christensen was on commentary for us, she said it looked like a foul and it seemed like that did rock the team. Yeah sorry I'm talking about our goal that got disallowed, I think that for me that was a moment of a turning point moment. But listen, like I said, I think it's important that we watch the game, we reflect on it collectively and individually and make sure we're better the next game.

As you say, no one goes home after one game. Are you confident that things will be better for Netherlands? Of course I'm confident. I think we're disappointed with this result, but it's not the end. It's the first game. And like I said, now it's two games must win. Alex, thank you for your time. Thank you.

Alex Greenwood there with Rob Schofield in the tunnel at the Lexigren's Stadion as England loser opening Euros game to France alongside us here to react to it all. Former England lioness Izzy Christensen, French football expert Julien Laurent and we've got Nadem Anouar, former England under-21, Man City with us. And Nadem, Alex Greenwood, quite bullish there? Yeah, I would agree. I think, to be honest, their assessment is fair. We can talk about the fact that they finished well, great. I thought they did start well in that first 10, 15 minutes. They seemed really aggressive in terms of how they wanted to press. They were putting France on the back foot, but after that goal that was disallowed for England, it seemed like it was just France's game and this is for probably an hour or so and it's strange that England never really found a way to sort of

bounce back within that because sometimes you could see the French quality but other times it just felt like it was almost like the French desire as such some of those duels and the aggression in the way that they played you know France looks like a real top quality outfit and there's no reason in my mind why England couldn't have matched some of that energy as such. But then again as we've said from the get-go and as Rob said there as well, you know, Luton's and Alex as well. Luton's won all lost after that first group game so they do need to regroup and I think it was interesting Alex said you know, we need to look at it individually and collectively because I think realistically we're probably one

or two performances today which can't be repeated if anyone would go on and possibly retain this title. Izzy if we had to in fact cause that thought, we've got Alessia Russo with Rob. Thank you Katie, Alessia how frustrating was that for the team and I suppose for you personally as well? Yeah it was, look we never want to lose the first game of a tournament but we come up against a really great French side and they took their chances really well. There were spells that we dominated, spells that we definitely need to work on so yeah frustrated. We can

look at it tonight, be frustrated tonight but this tournament moves so fast so we've got to be ready to go and face Holland in a few days. Was there anything that particularly surprised you tonight? Of course this game's been in the calendar for so long, such a long build-up, but I mean you know France really did dominate for long periods there. Yeah they did, no surprises, we knew they're a top team, probably more so we'll reflect on ourselves and how we can be better. But yeah, like I said, we can't dwell on it too long. We'll reflect on it tomorrow. We'll get together as a team and we've got Holland in a few days.

That challenge on you for the France second goal, Izzy Christensen on commentary said it was a clear foul. Is that how you saw it as well? I mean, I don't comment on the ref's decisions, but to me as a nine, I'm used to getting those challenges like that. And I did feel like it was a foul, but as football. Sometimes you get decisions your way, sometimes you don't and we have to go with that and we still want to be better as a team. As you say, only one game but not much margin for error now. Are you comfortable being slightly

on the back foot now at least against the Netherlands? I mean, yeah, I don't necessarily look at it on the back foot. We know what we want to do as a team. Obviously, we're disappointed right now. But we've got to use it as fuel to our fire and as a team to make us even better. All right, Les, thank you for that. Thank you. Alessi Russo there with Rob Schofield.

Izzy Christensen, no one wants you to speak this evening. That's all right. We're finally bringing it. We're getting live reaction. Obviously, brilliant to hear from the players. And it's immediate reaction, isn't it, Izzy? So there is time to reflect as Alex Greenwood was saying. But if I go back to Nadam's point there about individual performances, if we had to pick out some names, I think there were a couple and I think we might highlight that midfield

area as underperforming for England. Yeah, I think, you know, Kira, while she's used to, you know, dictating games in a similar way to Kashow did, you know, Kira, while she's used to, you know, dictating games in a similar way to Kashawi did, you know, this evening for France, she did that. She took the midfield by the scruff of the neck and almost suffocated our midfield at times. You know, Georgia Stanway, I didn't think was as quick in her decision making than she normally is. I think France were all over that like a rash. And I think that's how the France managed to get themselves on the front foot in that. And England know that, I mean, we don't need to say

that England know the performance levels they can reach and they know where they perform tonight and they'll have an honest assessment and they'll know that come the Netherlands game on Wednesday, they all need to be performing better. It was a big call, Jules, to start Lauren James tonight because one, she's had very few minutes since April, but two, because of the position she was playing and the threat that France posed in that midfield.

Absolutely, we said it before the game and again half time, it was 3 v 2 a lot because Lauren James played as a forward really, so Walsh and Steinway were left against the three French midfielders, which is fine, you could play 4-3-3 against 4-2-3-1, it doesn't mean that you're going to lose. But you need your two midfielders on one side to be on top and to have the right movement. You need Lauren James to be more off the ball than what she did tonight, especially considering the form of those French players. I'm amazed that Serena Vigman didn't change the formation earlier, the system earlier earlier to go to a back five maybe or to go even to a 4-3-3 and you could have taken Lauren James off a half time instead of the 59th minute or whatever it was when she came off. There's

a lot of things that Vigmen could have done in this game and I felt she was very much a victim of what the game was happening and proactive instead of being reactive really and I think that was a big mistake tonight for someone so experienced as well. Was it the wrong call Nedim to start Lauren James do you think? Well I mean hindsight you can see things clearly can't you? It says yeah she should never have started but for the way that the game began in that first 10-15 minutes I thought she had an influence. I think some of the play like the goal that was disallowed and I think she put a good

cross into the box as well and she had a shot as well I think on her right foot. So at that point it felt good but then as soon as the game started to turn and say France had more control then then you could start to see her influence wane a little bit. I think England kind of struggled because you know for the way that Lauren James is in my opinion like she's not necessarily a maverick as such but she's not somebody that sort of fits in with the general structure that you see with some of these sides when they've proven to be successful. And I think England struggled with that for long periods, but I think as far as Serena Vingland goes, I think she knows that he could have worked out differently on another day.

But more importantly for her, Lauren James has had 60 minutes worth of football and hopefully she can continue to get that sharpness back and, you know, be a bigger influence if they make it to the knockouts. A big talking point, Izzy, was that foul on Alessia Russo in the build-up to the Baltimore goal, France's second goal. Rob asked her about it there, she was very diplomatic. Very diplomatic. I'll say it for her, it was a foul. It was a really... where it was a foul. It was a really, are you not? Oh, come on, Nedim, Nedim, Nedim. Hey, no, Izzy.

Hey, listen, I've spoken to one of your former teammates who was a defender who said it wasn't a foul and I don't think it was either, to be honest. You don't think it was a foul? No, I don't think it was a foul, no. She takes Alessia before she takes the ball. Okay. Sorry, Nedim, sorry, Nedim. I thought it was a foul as well, Ned. as well, because she goes with her right leg to do

that tackle, she has to take Russo first before getting to the ball, more than maybe she would have gone with her left leg. I guess the only question is how much contact is there in terms of the touch on Russo. Also, you've got once it's gone to VAR, you've got to have a clear and obvious error. So on balance, is it a foul? Really, that's not enough for VAR. But often we do see VAR overturn things. But Izzy was saying in commentary that, you know, it's the effect, even if it is a slight touch, the effect that it has on Russo's run and, you know, football's a game of opinions.

Yeah it's a good tackle from Lacroix because she takes Alessia Russo first and then she wins the ball and then the impact that Ben has on them Baltimore and the way that she can progress the play she ends up scoring a goal from it. I just think the referee has the opportunity, VAR has a look at it and they still deem it acceptable but for me it's not acceptable. It's a foul, it's a crucial foul. Hmm... I think one thing to sort of drill down here is the fact that wherever the debate goes with this decision, I don't want people to think that this is a defined decision for the game itself

because England was struggling for a long period either side of that moment. And I think for some to say, yeah, but this decided this and this decided that, you can see the frustration those building amongst... Even Serena Wigman herself on the sideline, but I thought from a footballing standpoint, like France were very much just dominating anyway, but then all of a sudden, well, here's the reason.

This is why England lost today. So I'm just wary of drifting towards that path anyway. That is it, Jules, isn't it? The physicality that France showed, yeah, maybe it's straight over at times, but they handled that so much better than England did, who started looking scrappy and frayed. They were so nimble. They were just quicker in every single area. Yeah, they were. They were super sharp physically. It's interesting because Bonadé started with

the back three at the start of his tenure. And we said it's a very young tenure because he's only had 12 games in charge or 10 games or so. And then realized that for the way he wanted to play, so the wingers and isolating them, having that kind of intensity in that midfield three, whoever the three are, because you could have picked somebody else, that he needed that 4-3-3 formation that was easier for the way

and for the strength that this team has. And they were perfect like that. We mentioned about Simon Cascarino, but again, I thought Jean-Francois, who's still very young at this international level, but for her going to Chelsea, she learned so much. And yeah, she didn't play every minute of every single game, but the work that she did over there was wonderful.

And she just ran the show again today with Karchawi, with Gaiouro, those rotations, that midfield three was so good and I just, again, I'm just amazed that Wigman didn't react to it earlier. I'm amazed that Wigman chose that formation to play against the 4-3-3 because we all knew that this is how France would set up. And you can play Lauren James, play her wide,

especially when she's not fully fit, especially when it's the first game of a big tournament like this. I think it was very risky to play her a 10 like she did because for the reason that we just said and and yeah, in terms of physicality, intensity, there was no match. Sam got in touch saying poor decision. He's talking about that foul on Alessi Russo.

He says clearly a foul, but England poor nonetheless, is he? So I wonder if we try and look at some of the positives for the defending champions. And it certainly felt like some of those substitutes were able to make an impact. It was a really good final 10 minutes. Walsh scoring, Elatun coming on and bringing that spark back to life,

and Michel Adjimang. Yeah, I think football's interesting because England looked their best in the last 10 minutes when they were just pumping France going long, but football isn't like this. They don't play like this. This is the way they play when they are in desperate motion, where they're trying to find that goal because what hasn't worked for the majority of the match beforehand hasn't got them success. I agree in terms of the substitutes coming on, Ajiman, Toon. I don't think Chloe Kelly got into it as much as she would have liked. I think it's a great success. And I agree in terms of the substitutes coming

on. Aja Man tune. I don't think Chloe Kelly got into it as much as she would have liked. I would have actually have liked to have seen Chloe Kelly start the game because I thought her aggression is higher than Beth Meads up against Basher, who

proved her worth tonight. You know, she's a she's a player who's so aggressive, so on the front foot. She needed nullifying. So I think the most positive thing I can feel for England tonight is the feeling of how they've just finished the game. And yes, they've lost, but it's also the bottling up how they've just ended that match, going

for goal, that sort of feeling of oomph about them. And they have to take that into the Netherlands game, but then flip it. They're not going to start the game how they finished it. They'll start the game with methodical buildup again, but there might just be, you know, a few personnel changes. I'd like to see Grace Clinton in that midfield to say the least. What about out wide, Nadin, because there were some moments of real vulnerability around Jess Carter, even around Lucy Bronze as well, who we know loves to get up the pitch, but

caught out multiple times, particularly in the first half. Yeah, I think that's fair. And I think in regards to the Jess Carter game as such, I think going up against Casparino, that that's gonna be a tough job for absolutely anybody But I think Casparina very much had a number from the start the game basically here today And he's ashamed from that standpoint But you wouldn't necessarily expect it to roll into the next game and my biggest concern to be honest from that left side in particular Is because they're playing right footers on there. They want to come back onto their right side So it doesn't seem to have the same balance that,

you know, say we see when we watch like the French, for example, it just seems like they can attack down both sides, whereas for England, just didn't feel like that in my opinion. And then with Lucy as well, Lucy Bronze, it was just a tough day because, you know, we're talking about quality players, Baltimore, we spoke about them before the game,

like these players aren't just all of a sudden surprising people with their quality. We've seen it, but they just happened to, on this particular day, with the relationship they had with their fullbacks as well, because I thought they all made Cascarino look even better as well for the way that those two linked up down that side. It's one of those days within football where you weren't at

your absolute best, but I'm sure as they go and watch this game back now, they'll be desperate to sort of make amends in the essentially the most swing game against the Netherlands midweek. And I think that the challenge here as well is that you know Lucy Bond we know she's a brilliant player and yes every player can have a bad game but this comes back to something that we touched on in commentary is one of the criticisms of Vigmen at times has been not giving squad players enough caps to be able to come in at this sort of level and replace players and I think back even to the Jamaica game on the Sunday when

Niamh Charles came on for Lucy Bond's and played at right back. Now I would be quite surprised to see Niamh Charles play at right back in this tournament. The player that Serena Vigmen has earmarked and said look I see her as a right back for us is Mea Letitia. It's her first major tournament. She was on standby for the World Cup two years ago. If she comes on, it's her ninth cap. Now, she plays at centre half of Manchester United, but it's very clear that Wigman wants to use her as right back. And again, I think the question will be asked by some England fans is, is this a point where you get to this major tournament, you can see Lucy Bronson struggling? Yes, you want to also keep attacking

substitutes, but does she have the option if she wants to change things up? Does Maela Titier have enough experience to be able to do that in a huge game against the Netherlands? I'm not saying that's necessarily the right tactical decision, but I think the questions around, do some of these squad players have enough experience with England to be able to make a really bold call

and say, okay, in one position or two positions I'm actually going to take a massive gamble. She may well do that Serena Vigman she often says you know it's about experience with club and Meia Letizia has played in FA Cup finals and all of that she's Manchester United captain but I think it's gonna rube its head again. Well did she slightly do that though with Ajumang? Izzy I know she brought her on really late but she's had a couple of caps to her name, but it felt like she was on a game-changing trajectory in those final couple of minutes. Yeah, it certainly felt that way.

Serena Vigman knows what she's doing, she knows what the game needs, and you make the best decision in the best moment for the team. I think changing the system, changing the shape earlier would have helped England. We've seen it during the World Cup in 2023, the change of shape that went to a back three, it worked, it helped. That would have possibly stifled France's threat in wide areas.

But again, I come back to it, France played a 4-3-3 perfectly tonight, especially in the first half, perfectly. Wide wingers, fast wingers, aggressive midfielders, target player in the nine, Inca Toto, she got her goal. the a slightly bizarre thing to say, Jules, but I actually thought Hannah Hampton had a pretty decent kick, considering she conceded twice. Actually, it felt like there was a lot of stability there in how she handled the ball, her distribution, work at her feet. Yeah, and obviously because of what happened with Marie Herbst, there would be a lot of focus on her in goal. There was that one-on-one with Gaiouro where she fumbles a little bit the ball, but she still made that save really important because that's early in that second half

And if they go through it down, there's just no way back back for sure And I thought her distribution which is she's obviously very good at it could have been used a little bit more. But again Again, it goes with the tactics and everything that we were saying with easy earlier But yeah, I think I think I think she did well and she will have another busy game I suspect against the Netherlands on Wednesday because I mean the pressure going to be so high on this England side, on Wigman making the right calls and there's a lot of calls to make and it's only three days away. In a way, really Sunday morning Tuesday and then we are, it's match day. So a lot of calls to make, a lot of pressure because England could be out on Wednesday night.

Well, we will hear from Serena Wigman, Rob Schofield waiting to interview her in the tunnel. If we have a look at group D then after that first round of fixtures, Netherlands top of the table on three points with that plus three goal difference beating Wales earlier, France then behind them also on the three points, England sitting third and Wales in fourth place at the moment. Is he, Jules mentioned pressure there? Vigman doesn't like to talk about pressure, but it's inevitable, no? Yeah, it is. And obviously the outcome of the result of the first game is going to either, you know, add pressure or relieve pressure on the second group game, regardless of who you're playing. I still think the order of England's

games are quite nice in terms of having that Wales game at the end. I thought they put in a very spirited performance in against the Netherlands earlier today, but I think fundamentally the pressure is always going to be there for England because of who they are now and defending champions, I know Sweden and England doesn't like talking too much about that term, but there is pressure because there's this many fans that have travelled here to a very expensive country to come and watch England. Is this the kind of England side, Naidum, who will stand up to the pressure? Because it's pretty much must win now against the Netherlands.

Yeah, I think so. For as much as I don't think today was a great day overall, I think the fact that they are reigning champions suggests that they've got something within them, which, you know, should stand them in good stead for this game against the Netherlands. I think the only tweak in my mind is that now, Netherlands arrived as a bit with an underdog whereas for France I think they will try and go toe-to-toe with England So now how do England approach being the sort of protagonist in such an important game to where a side knows maybe a point Against England could be all they need

Let's hear from the England manager then Serena Vigmen is with Rob Serena bright start bright finish What's your assessment of the game as a whole? Yeah, exactly what you say. We had a very good start. Could have scored within one minute. And we scored a very good goal. Goal was unfortunately disallowed. And then I think we caused ourselves a bit of problems

by making in possession short decisions. So short passes and we know that they really press on those balls and when we were getting out of these spaces and out of the first press then we were at moments too sloppy. We needed some more runs in behind too and yeah we tried to do that better second half and in the counter-attack we know France a very good team too and they can cause us problems when they win the ball at spaces on the pitch where we're a little bit deeper. That's exactly what they did. So the second half we tried to do better and with some subs the corner

we scored was really good. After that we tried to force a goal and unfortunately we couldn't get in the back of the net. But yes, a couple of things we really want to do better on Wednesday. As you say, France proved really dangerous. You knew that going in. But in your mind, how far short of your level did you fall and how much better will you need to be against the Netherlands? Yeah, I think when you saw how we started, I thought that was really good and I think the goal this allowed, then we started to play short passes.

I think that's, we took ourselves a bit out of the game. We know they are really good, so we have to do these things better to bring them in their strengths kind of. So yes, I think that's the main learning from this game. There was a lot of excitement to see Lauren James start the game. Just interested to ask you if you feel like

that did impact the balance in midfield, that did prove a problem area across the middle portion of the game. Yeah, I think she did well. She's so tight on the ball, but I also think at the same time, of course, very happy she's back. And when we won the ball in that first minute then I hope she

That was really close to score that goal But I also thought when we needed something else and when when I like to mean we made a couple of stops She she did really well, too Causing them problems in behind so Yeah, we can do different things so and then you find different balance. You've never been shy in admitting when you think a game is must win do you think the Netherlands game is must win now? Well I think this group is a very hard group for us of course we it's kind of

a must win and especially when you want to keep it in your own hands, we have to win the two next games, so, yeah, we know what we have to do. Welcome to the Toonie and Russo show on BBC Sounds. I am here with two of football's most famous friends, Alessia Russo and Ella Toon. I know where I'll take you for your hen-do. Well, Benidorm. Benidorm, oh, yes!

LAUGHTER I would like that. It's Keely Hodgkinson. How long's like your training sessions? Like what do you do? Just run around. Do you think we're best friends for life? The Tune in Russo Show with me, Vic Hunt. Listen on BBC Sounds. Welcome to the Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula 1 like never before. I'm Matt Magindy and thanks to my exclusive access, I'll be getting up close and personal with Red Bull Racing this season. This week we address the Verstappen Mercedes Rumours. You want to be with the very best car next season. And look forward to the British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton loves Silverstone.

He does. Could he challenge? Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into the inside track wherever you get your podcasts. The Football Daily Podcast with Katie Smith at UEFA Women's Euro 2025. So that's England then starting on a loss. Same for Wales, it kicked off their campaign a little earlier,

falling 3-0 at the hands of the Netherlands in Lucerne, which is where we find Dani Gavidon and Ailey Barber. It has been a long build up to Wales's opening game in their first ever major tournament, and it has not gone the way they would have liked. It was a bit of a brutal lesson against a very experienced Netherlands team and Wales just really struggled to get going. They conceded right on half-time Viviana Miedema with her 100th goal for our country and then just into the second half very early on. Victoria Pulova put them 2-0 ahead and then the route was finished by Ismé

Broutz at the back post just tapping in across from the right-hand side and it was all over then for Wales but they battled on and the players down in front of me now, they look a little bit disconsolate, but they have got their friends and family here. They are trying to catch a few words with them and Danny alongside me. Disappointment, I can see it in your face because there was so much hope

and there was so much belief that Wales could do something in this game, but it was a really strong Dutch team today and it was just a bridge too far. Yeah, and I think sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and just say, look, the opposition were better a couple of levels above and like Wells I have no shame in kind of saying that I thought it was a proud kind of spirited performance at times yes in that quality they didn't really offer too much going forward but you know they gave it

everything they had and and they always do they know they never give up even at three nil you know they're still working hard, they're still trying to maybe create something, manufacture a chance but it was just very difficult today for 45 minutes, they frustrated, they rode their luck a little bit, the woodwork come to Wales' rescue a couple of times and just that goal, brilliant mid-amount goal just before half-time was a killer blow really and then you're looking at the second half can they come out and play with the same intensity after working so hard in that first half. It was very flat and for that second goal to go in so quickly, start the second half, it just made it very difficult for Wales and I've got to say I was very impressed with the Netherlands, very impressed. They're going to be a really good team in

this tournament, a difficult team to beat. Well, Miedema is walking around the pitch, she's now in her socks, wearing a back to front Dutch orange shirt with 100 written across her chest. It was an historic moment for her, a milestone for her, her 100th international goal and it was so beautifully taken and it was just classic Miedema because she hadn't been in the game that much in the first half. You were thinking, this is okay, we've kept her quiet, Wales have kept her quiet but the time she's able to create on the ball and the finish was sublime. Yeah and that's what great players do, you know, they're not always in the game but you are you're affed time and space. That's what they're capable of doing

and yeah, Wales have done a decent job up until that point of keeping her quiet. She'd had a couple of kind of loose touches didn't quite look on a game but then she picks that ball up on the edge of the 18 yard box and and just the way she kind of manipulates the ball to kind of open up the space for her to get the shot away. You can look at it from a Wales point of view and say, well, could someone have got closer to her and made it more difficult, but let's take nothing away from the goal as well. And the way she

just bends it into that far corner, it's just a, it's this wonderful set of forward play and just shows kind of the quality that she has really. So, a hundred goals and was it 126 caps now is it? And 100 goals is just incredible. It's an incredible record. She's got an incredible record at club as well. See it in the WSL how clinical she is and she got the Netherlands on their way.

And it was a real tough pill to swallow having the halftime whistle blowing just seconds after that ball hitting the back of the net. It would have changed the team talk substantially for Rhianne Wilkinson, but the last thing she would have wanted would be to concede early on in the second half. And Wales came out, they didn't really start the second half

particularly well, and Pelova was able to score in what was a very emotional goal for her as well, given her ACL struggles and coming back to fitness just a few months ago to be scoring on the major tournament stage again but the worst possible timing really for Wales to concede again and but from then it was an uphill struggle. Yeah because I think even at 1-0 William Wilkinson would have been saying look we're still very much in the game even if they went in at 0-0 maybe the team talk wouldn't have been too different. It probably would have been along the same lines of, right, let's continue to do what we're doing.

You know, maybe after 15-20 minutes of the game then, and when maybe the intensity is dying a little bit, you're looking to make changes. But for that second to go in so quickly, and they did look leggy Wales, there was a lack of intensity right from the get-go, that start of that second half. And, you know, you just can't give teams that of this quality that kind of advantage. There was a lack of intensity right from the get-go that started that second half and you just can't give teams of this quality that kind of advantage. It's very difficult when you're not really creating too many chances yourself. That's why I think you just have to hold your hands up and just say they were beaten by

a superior team. It was 3-0 and it could have been a lot more. It could have been seven or eight really that wouldn't have you know they probably deserved to score more than three they were very very good on the day and Wales just find it really difficult the game plan didn't really work they couldn't keep the ball they couldn't they struggled the counter-attack they didn't show enough composure when they had it they were rushed and they couldn't really get any pressure on even when they had no 10 players behind the ball they they were never really get any pressure on, even when they had 10 players behind the ball,

they were never really getting any pressure on and making it difficult. It was very easy for Holland in possession to kind of open them up. So lots to be learned from, I think, moving into the next game. Let's get the thoughts then off Rianne Wilkinson after that first game in this major championship. Such a proud moment for her. Let's hear how she feels after what was a pretty difficult 90 minutes. I mean, the very first question we get at the draw

is what a group, right? And we have a hard group. There's no getting away from that. And I think from what we've talked about as a team is how do we show up on this journey and make sure that we are proud of the efforts we're putting in and of what we're trying to achieve? I think we will catch people off guard and you see moments in the game when we we do play So it was a tough game. I think you know that to concede a goal right before half is always painful

I made some changes at half and I think that cost us a second goal So that's definitely a technical learning for us. It's important that we also take accountability. And this was a fantastic performance from the Dutch. We rode the line, and we rode our luck. There was definitely a few more attempts on target. So we have to create more opportunities, absolutely. And we have to make sure that those moments of lapses

get fewer and fewer. But this is the world stage. This is the big event. And it's intimidating. It's the first game. But equally, this is what we want. And it comes with lessons like this. And we've got two more big games and we've got to show up again and hopefully learn from how we finished that game, right? Because we really stepped up in the last 20 from how we finish that game, right?

Because we really stepped up in the last 20, 25 minutes. What have you learned? Well, I think all of us as a group are going to have learned something about how we have to suffer in moments of a game and we have to hang on and we can't capitulate our chains. Our connection as a group has to be really, really tight. And we saw moments where we just got a bit stretched, and they took advantage of that. Again, I think the technical team needs to clean up our processes at halftime.

And that's something that we will keep moving towards. That's on me. But I do think the players themselves will have, it sounds strange when you lose three-nothing, but they'll have gained a bit of confidence in this. We would rather lose by three, four- four nothing and try and play than just sit back and yeah you could say we were defensive in the first half but it was for a real purpose. We had we had a game plan and sometimes it works and sometimes

it doesn't and it almost got us to half so in that way you know I don't think it was completely off base but we'll keep pushing. That red wall, was that what you expected? Was that what you expected? Was that what you dreamt of? Was that what the players dreamt of? Yeah, and even better. I think a massive thank you. And I spoke to the players before the game as well,

and I said, these people, these amazing fans have shown up to thank you for getting them there. They wanna see you give it everything they have, you have, excuse me, and they're right there behind you. And that's exactly what they did from the second I walked out, before the players did. I think they were, I got a little intimidated. It was quite emotional.

And so of course it was for the players as well, so many people in the stands. So a huge thank you to all the fans here and back home. Of course we want to push our standards and hope that we can keep the game a little tighter and make our moments count in the next two games. But a huge thank you for an incredible crowd tonight. And the Dutch fans, what a cool atmosphere for both teams. Well, it is all about looking forward now, Danny, and it doesn't get any easier for Wales. You've got France next and then of course closing out the group stages with England. So two really difficult opponents.

They've taken a sore one today. It's about how they react. It's about how they rebuild. What's going to be key to it to go and try and wipe this slate clean and go again. Yeah, I think it's just about concentrating on themselves. You know, you're obviously respectful of the opposition and what they can do, but if you worry too much about it being France next game and then England after that, then I don't think you're going to perform then to the levels that you're capable of doing. So I still think it still has to be very much about Wales and what they do.

You know, they'll look at the game, they'll be disappointed with some of the goals conceded, because defensively normally they are a little bit better than that. So they'll look at that, they'll look at ways of maybe how can we keep the ball better, how can we control the game better, especially in this heat, which you know you have to do even if it isn't 30 plus degrees. When you're playing at this level against elite teams you have to be able to keep the ball for a period of time and relieve pressure and Wales were never really able to do that or fashion any chances then off the back of it. So we'll just have to wait and see. It's going to be difficult, isn't it? It's going to be difficult, but you know, it's not just about the results. This whole experience is amazing for this group of players. There's so much that they're going to learn from this tournament. And yes,

they want to go out there and win and they want to progress to the knockout stages and we know that's going to be very very difficult but it's not just about that for this team. We can see at the end of the game there's this real togetherness there has been in the whole build up to this through qualifying through that playoff and through their really tough nations league group this group of players they stick together that play-off and through their really tough Nations League group, this group of players, they stick together. That's going to become more important than ever in the next few days as they go to Saint-Gallen and look ahead to France. And there's some big players in that dressing room. Sophie Engel can't be on the pitch right now. We don't know how fit she is, whether she will be able to be on the pitch later. Didn't make an appearance

today. But she's such a strong voice in that dressing room. Angela James, the captain, has spoken so well in the build-up to this. Gemma Evans, experience and of course Jess Fishlock as well. Those voices will need to be strong. Yeah, so so important. I think you saw when the third goal went in maybe, I think it was Hayley Ladd who got the team together and was just trying to bark some orders and encouragement to the team and there's some fantastic leaders in that dressing room who will be really important now going into the next game. Sophie Engel as you said a very kind of calming influence even though she wasn't able to play today

but just her kind of presence in the dressing room so so important for this team and look they'll move on from it you know this team has been through so many negatives so many kind of disappointments over the years they won't let a 3-0 loss worry them too much you know they'll be disappointed tonight but they'll refocus they'll get back on the training ground they'll work on things where can we improve where can we do better and they'll go into the next game with the same amount of confidence and hope to do better. I have to say over these last 48 hours being in Lucerne,

seeing all the Welsh supporters, hearing the press conference yesterday, which began and ended with applause, seeing all these former players who are out here, enjoying every moment of a dream that they had and weren't able to fulfil like these players are doing today. It's been so special, but for you as a Welshman, how do you sum it up?

I'm just so proud. I'm just so proud. It's just the first thing. We've still got two games to go. There's still so much more to enjoy. Just getting the opportunity to mix with some of the fans yesterday, go into the fan zone, see what it means to them, hear some of their stories and stuff, be around some of the ex players and see what it means to them. It's so much more than just what's going to happen in these three games for Wales as a nation being here. And I think the players are just going to enjoy the experience. Like I said, they'll they'll want to do well, they'll want to win games, they'll want to progress. But I think the whole experience

as a whole is so much more important. What they're going to learn, kind of coming away from this and then moving forward, what it's going to do for the country in so many ways in terms of like participation with girls and you know financially, commercially all of these things is so much bigger than just these three games in this group. So I think it's they'll have perspective on it and they'll be realistic about it and I think as you can see they're just thoroughly enjoying the experience and you know as I, there's still two more games to go and we'll see what happens. We will indeed see what happens.

And we will make the journey to St. Gallen, where Wales will take on France on Wednesday, an eight o'clock kick-off. Back in the UK, you can follow live commentary of that as ever across Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds. So work to do for the two home nations then, losses for Wales and England in their group openers. That is it though for this episode of the Football Daily. The next one will be with our Women's Football Weekly crew,

led by Ben Haynes. And set us the donkey for the runway, Wales take the lead! When we won our qualifier, it felt unbelievable. We're so proud of becoming the first Welsh team to book a spot in an international women's tournament. History is made at last! We're going to the Euros to win and take our place in history

on one of the biggest stages in football. UEFA Women's Euro 2025. On Five Live and BBC Sound. Welcome to The Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One like never before. And I'm Matt Magindy and thanks to my exclusive access I'll be getting up close and personal with Red Bull Racing this season. This week we address the Verstappen Mercedes rumours. You want to be with the very best car next season. And look forward to the British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton loves Silverstone. He does. Could he challenge? Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into the inside track wherever you get your podcasts.